The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-11-26

! R0t&NNFNS NCAA uUh& SAANOA skin onions weighing pound pump kins weighing (now don't bc startled) l20 pounds watermelons, at this date, so pounds: butter beans l4 inches in length egg plants 10 inches long and 70 inches in circumference; vegetable gourd feet long two crops of grapes from the same vine, and He varieties of apples now on exhibition. Ladies and gentlemen, it is said and heartily indorse it, that one should always speak the truth and never bc ashamed of it, but in this instance l must say that am almost ashamed to speak the wonderful truths just mentioneti--not ashamed of the truth itself, but in the proclamation thereof. because of the seeming exaggeation of the sizes of the products just mentioned, but l say to you in all truthhlness that every word have uttered with refer ence to the same is the Gods truth. Go down and see and you will return astonished, and like myself be almost ashamed to speak the truth thereof
 RAILROADS.
 At the close of the war there were only forty eight miles of railroad in the state, and in 1874 there were only about 700 miles. Now there are near 1000 miles, and as many more miles projected in the different lines, which will be built ere long, some of which arc in course of construction. Soon our state will ba checkered by those pioneers and indispensable adjuncts of civilization.
 "There are millions of acres of as fine agricultural lands as the world affords offered to the public at nominal prices, great proportion of which belongs to the Little Rock < Fort Smith and the St. Louis, Iron Noun tain X southern railways, which, in addition to their wonderful chcapness, are sold to settlers upon their own terms of payments As much as ten years are given them. when desired, for payment, so that the same can bc gotten from the timber and the soil as fast as the payments are required. This Is truly the poor mans country.
 "Nevcr before have. such railroad lands been brought into the market under such circumstances, and never again will such an opportunity bc given those in search of homes not mere abiding places, but homes which shall, in every sense of the word, bo homes indeed, dear to the heart, liv- ing long in the memory when lar away an evergreen oasis in the dcs- ert of the world. Here, indeed, K the poor mans paradise if ever In the world there was one. When ever be- fore did he have offered to him such an opportunity to achieve for himself an honest independence What n prospect for the toiling multitudcs In the ovcrcrowded east to look forward to! What blessed change for those who have all their lives ekcd out n ecAnt existence upon barren worn-out | ields- fields which have done service decade after dccade-w which have fur nished sustcnance for generation after generation, yielding more and more weakly to the efforts of the discour- aged husbandman until at last the crops which answer his efforts will realize scarce enough to pay for the fertilizers required to bring them forth, and tired and worn out he k nearly ready to lay down his imple- mcnts and give up the struggle. ready. almost, to cease his wearisome existence. Here one tenth the effort he has been accustomed to put forth will yield ten times the result which attended upon his labors in former years, and here he can rear happy family in the midst of peace and plenty. Nor does this country hold forth in- duccments to the poor man alone, for in no other part of the union can bet ter investments for capital bc found. Here may the millionaire put his money into active operation, setting 1t afloat in thousand safe and sure ways, and it will bring back to him rich remuneration through thousand sure and safe and honest channels. There are mills to bc built, towns growing up, railroads to bc fDan- cicrcd, mines To be operated, and as the country advances, progressing toward prosperity in the future as 1t has in the past, those investments already made will pay the better, and new demands will bc made for new capital. New mills must be had, banks must be opened in addition to those we have, and new buildings erected. And all this time the lands will not be idle, for as the tide of emigration continues to roll in, natu- rally the value of the land will in- crease. Those who seize now the opportunity thus offered them will find themselves in possession of property which not only gives them an excellent existence, but which in- creases in value upon their hands as each season rolls over their heads We have now three national banks aud one or two nriYate ones.